The Horrors of Adolescence

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Oh yeon-seo and song chae-yoon in a blood pledge

The South Korean education system has long been scrutinized for its fixation on perfection. There are countless articles, television dramas, and songs dedicated to exposing the flaws that are present in an education system – and society – that demands perfection. When government censorship of cinema ended after the ousting of South Korea’s military dictatorship, New Korean Wave cinema exploded; this gave a new generation of filmmakers the ability to publicly criticize the issues they saw with their country.

One of the most glaring criticisms of the South Korean education system and notable exports of New Korean Wave cinema came in the form of Whispering Corridors.

Whispering Corridors was released as a standalone film in 1998, and upon its massive success, has been followed by five sequels: Memento Mori (1999), Wishing Stairs (2003), Voice (2005), A Blood Pledge (2009), and The Humming (2021).

l-r: whispering corridors, memento mori, wishing stairs, voice, a blood pledge, the humming

Thematically, the films are similar but don’t act as direct sequels. Each film takes place at a different all-girls high school, focusing on the abuse suffered by the students at the hands of their teachers and classmates. The setting of the Whispering Corridors series being schools is fitting: according to a 2019 poll, nearly 34% of Korean middle and high school students contemplated suicide due to academic pressure.

An environment that drives children to consider such extremes is part of what inspired producer Lee Choon-yeon to write horror films set in high schools. In an interview, Lee stated, “I guess another motivation on my part was…my antagonism toward the way Korean education was going at the time…Korean secondary education was geared toward suppressing individuality and creativity.” Aside from being some of the first mainstream films to criticize the Korean education system, the Whispering Corridors series also feature taboo topics such as teen suicide and sexual assault.

rie young-jin and park ye-jin in memento mori

The central characters in each installment are, to some degree, outcasts: timid, artsy, intelligent young women who are taken advantage of and destroyed by a system rigged against them. Many of the films focus on how the school system ruins friendships and relationships in favour of molding the perfect student. In Memento Mori, students Shi-eun and Hyo-sin are harassed by their peers for being in a relationship; the social pressure of being in a same-sex relationships drives Shi-eun away, and Hyo-sin ultimately commits suicide. In Wishing Stairs, best friends Jin-sung and So-hee are torn apart when they compete against each other for a spot on a Russian ballet team. After Jin-sung makes a wish on the legendary wishing stairs, So-hee becomes paralyzed, and Jin-sung gets the coveted position. So-hee commits suicide after she realizes she can’t continue pursuing ballet, and her vengeful spirits torments Jin-sung and the other students.

Whispering Corridors speaks to the horrors of adolescence: the fear of not fitting in, the fear of rejection, the fear of not being perfect. And by the end of each film, we realize that the villain is not the dead girl haunting the school halls, the students who mercilessly bully each other, or even the teachers who encourage corporal punishment; rather, the villain is always the school, and the brutal education system that pushes the students over the edge. The education system is what ultimately robs the girls in the Whispering Corridors films of their adolescence and sometimes, their lives.

It’s easy to brush off Whispering Corridors as another run-of-the-mill film series featuring ghostly girls and overused horror cliches. Like any good horror film, there are brutal and creative deaths and gory scenes filled with blood and screams. But at its core, the films are thoughtful critiques of a burdensome and often horrific education system and a society that abandons those who don’t conform.

Frankie Quinn is the resident scaredy cat who takes a particular interest in the intersection of feminism and queer culture in horror media.

Winged Zombies are Loose in JeruZalem – Everybody Stay Calm!

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Jerusalem at night

From Unsplash.com

I’ve been to Jerusalem. Twice. Both times for several days.

I got up close and personal with almost every landmark you can think of. 

Temple mount: check.

Wailing wall: check.

The Via Dolorosa: check. 

Mount of Olives: check.

Garden of Gethsemane: check.

Hell, I even snuck into the King David Hotel to swim in their pool. When asked, I told security my room number, which was in fact across the street at the Y, but how were they supposed to know that? They shrugged and let me in. 

Funny thing about Jerusalem: the media never gets it right. A few days into my first trip, our tour guide, a renowned Israeli archaeologist, warned us that the next day we’d hear alarms and shouldn’t panic. The state had just announced a military drill testing some of their early warning systems. 

The next day came and went. I think it was one of my favourites of the whole trip. We ate the best shawarma I’ve ever had and later, while walking down the street, a man came out of his restaurant built into an old Roman arch and offered us fresh falafels served off a shiny silver platter. They were still steaming and the oils dripped down my chin as I downed two without pause. I’m not a vegetarian, but damn were those falafels good.

That night I got a call from my mom. She was worried sick. The news was saying there’d been an attack, details were still incoming, and alarms were going off all over the state. 

I turned on CNN. Sure enough, the anchors were in full panic. They showed a reporter standing in front of a blurred image with beige rocks and a tree or two that was supposed to be Jerusalem. I swear it was a printout. And they never gave more details or showed any images from an attack.

One possibility: my tour guide is a terrorist mastermind and I’m lucky to be alive. Makes for a better story. It’s also bullshit.

I’ve only encountered such garbage misrepresentation of Jerusalem in the media once since then.

This week’s found footage horror recommendation: JeruZalem.

A basilica church with a winged demon perched on the roof, surrounded by a burning city

From Cinematerial.com

Yes, the capital Z is intended. With a title like that, I should have gone in with lower standards.

And yet here I am, still recommending it, because it’s the epitome of “so bad I had to watch it three times” movies. 

JeruZalem has some great horror sequences, and it isn’t just zombies. They tie in scattered references from the Hadith, the Talmud, and the Old Testament to deliver a full apocalyptic invasion of Jerusalem by winged animated corpses and evil giants. It’s a wild ride.

But in every other way that counts, this movie is so bad it hurts. 

The dialogue is strained and terrible right from the start. I despise the main characters. The lead actress wears “smart glasses” with campy overlays and distracting interruptions, but what better way to justify a continuous stream of her Jerusalem trip? 

And like every bad found footage flick, there’s always a fake expert. JeruZalem introduces us to Kevin, an anthropology student with all the answers. I stopped giving a rip about him after he delivered the film’s absolute worst line. He mentions something he read in the Bible. One of the characters asks, “Which one?” And Kevin responds, “All of them!” 

Umm, what?

He’s also party to the movie’s awkward sex scene, which we watch through the smart glasses on the nightstand while the girl’s father sends her worried texts including this gem: “Are you still daddy’s sweet little girl?”

Cringe.

And while this last one will slip past most viewers, I was embarrassed on the producers’ behalf by this particular error. Early in the film, characters tell us a recently killed woman who’s returned from the dead was buried near Golgotha.

You know, the hill where Jesus died. 

Except there are two possible spots we think Golgotha, “place of the skull,” might have been. The Catholics built the Holy Sepulchre over the first spot, which in ancient times was beyond the city walls but today is well within the bustling streets. And the Protestants found a garden tomb next to a hill that to this day looks like it has a skull staring back at you out of the rocks. It’s also a freaking bus stop and has been for decades. 

So where’s this lady supposed to have been buried. What, did the writers read the name Golgotha in the Bible and think “Hey, that sounds cool!”

Gimme a break.  

Tim McKay - Tim studied theology and worked as a pastor before leaving it all behind, making him the perfect cliche apostate from every religious horror flick.

Gremlins on the Shelf

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Stores are always too quick to set Christmas stuff out before Halloween has come and gone. Now that December is officially on the way, don’t us horror fans feel a certain kind of bitterness? Personally, I’m the kind of girl who likes the October vibe to last all year. But we still don’t want to miss out on all the winter festivities, you know?

Photo taekn from Michelle Muto’s blog

There is a Christmas tradition that consists of a small creature let loose in the house, the kind that kids jump out of bed in the morning to see the mischief it got up to. It also comes with three rules: don’t touch it, be kind—it can hear everything and report it back to Santa, and it must go home to the North Pole when Christmas is over.

Ah yes, Elf on the Shelf. I’m sure you must have heard of it.

But I am a fan of another type of mischievous, Christmas-y sort of creature. They’re the kind that also come with three rules: don’t get them wet, never put them in sunlight, and never, ever feed them after midnight.

They have their way of getting kids and adults alike out of bed in the morning. (Like when they set your Christmas tree on fire or kidnap the nice man who plays Santa Claus at the local toy drive.)

Gremlins movie screenshot

You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? So goodbye, Jingleheimer (it’s what we named the elf) and hello, Gremlin! Together we have come up with a very merry (and disastrous!) list of things to do for the holidays inspired by the 1984 Gremlins movie.

We like to start our holidays off by watching some of our favourite horror/holiday movies including A Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and of course…Snow White? Oh, because “snow?” I mean, I guess we can add that to the list…but it wasn’t me who said it.

Author’s photo. Gremlins will destroy houses of all kinds

Gremlins cannot hold back their craving for sugar (and destruction!) for long, so as soon as Mrs. Peltzer is done with the Christmas cookies, or when my little sister is finished building her gingerbread house, it’s time to chow down!

Gremlins like to help out, too—about as much as the cat does when putting up Christmas lights (especially if it involves tormenting the dog.) They are also known for creating the most immaculate light displays, the type of displays the whole town will be able to see when the neighbour’s house goes up in flames. At least it will keep us all toasty and warm!

Gremlins movie screenshot

Christmas carolling might seem a little old fashioned these days, but gremlins take great pride in their singing voices and spreading either cheer or death to the biggest neighbourhood humbugs.

(So goodbye, Mrs. Deagle!)

Elf on the shelf? he’s Dead! Photo taken from The U.S. Sun

So if you were thinking about witnessing some fun Christmas mischief this year and your Elf on the Shelf has tragically disappeared in a cloud of its magic North Pole stuffing…celebrate this holiday season like a pro and replace the elf with the gremlin as the family Christmas tradition!

Teagan kept on hearing she would have to write some blog posts for college. That joke about writing about horror gave her real fits…then she realized they were serious. At least she’s seen plenty of slasher movies and has her dark sense of humour to work in her favour.

You have just heard from her with her funny little games. They say she’s a writer now. Ha ha.

The Science of Fear

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Why do we love watching horror movies? What keeps us coming back to horror novels?

For me, I love the thrill. I am not much of a risk-taker in life. I much prefer the safety of keeping my two feet securely on the ground. Horror is my adrenaline rush. But is there a scientific reason to back up this obsession with being scared?

Some scientists believe that a couple of factors can contribute to people’s love of being scared.

Contributors of Fear Enjoyment:

1.     The Excitation Transfer Process: While watching a scary movie or reading a horror novel, our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase, which means we are excited. This excitement sticks around after the movie is over or after we have set our novel down. The excitement we feel translates into positive feelings, so we associate being scared with having a good time.

2.     Different Wiring: Not everyone feels the same way about being scared. Some people enjoy the adrenaline rush associated with horror films and books, just like there are people who do not enjoy the adrenaline rush from roller coasters and other such activities. We are all wired differently, which is why horror is not for everyone.

3.     Novelty: The horror genre can be seen as something that disrupts the routine. It offers viewers or readers something that they normally wouldn’t come across. It would be like when you drive by a car accident and slow down to look out of curiosity.

4.     Age and Gender: I am sorry to admit that there is an ample amount of evidence that shows that men prefer the horror genre over women. As a woman, I will admit that there aren’t too many of us horror lovers out there, but I didn’t think there would be such a discrepancy. It is also evident that younger individuals like horror over older ones.

I am not just a fan of the horror genre. I am also in love with true crime. I find serial killers, murders, and all that rather interesting. I watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, and read true crime books. I even love murder mystery shows like Criminal Minds and CSI. Some people find this interesting, considering the fact that most murder victims are women.

So why would I want to indulge in these kinds of things when I could be a victim myself?

Some experts think that if we watch, listen, or read, we can learn to spot possible predators out in the world. Some psychologists believe that people who enjoy being scared and love true crime and horror possess something they refer to as a “protective frame” and has three categories:

Protective Frame Categories:

1.     Safety Frame- these individuals understand that whether they are watching, reading, or listening to frightening things, they are doing so from a safe place. They understand that they are in a physically safe place so they can enjoy the scary thing they are consuming.

2.     Detachment- people who enjoy horror and true crime are able to detach themselves from what is happening in the movie, book, or podcast.

3.     Managing Danger- these people can be confident in the knowledge that they can overcome the danger that they are witnessing

I like to believe that those of us who love being scared are just a very special breed.

So, do you like to be scared?

If you want to know more about the science of fear, check out one of my favourite podcasts that did an awesome job on the topic.

I love to indulge in the dark side of life and party with the monsters under my bed. I have been in love with the horror genre since the age of eleven and haven’t regretted a moment.

Death Becomes Us

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Death on a pale horse - Gustave Doré, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Ahh, death. One of two things in life that are unavoidable.

Every one of us is born, and we will die. A prospect many find terrifying. Perhaps it’s because in modern first world countries, we are far removed from death. It’s not a part of our daily lives like it was for our ancestors.

They contended with plague-ridden corpses piled high in the streets during the Black Death of the 1300’s. They lived with the horrendously high rate of death for mothers in childbirth and their newborn infants.

In Victorian times, it was even normal for nana Margaret’s pallid body to be laid out in the parlour for a few weeks after her fatal bout of consumption.

It's fair to assume that a greater familiarity with death would take some of the terror out of the process. But there’s still that nagging uncertainty: What happens after we die? What about my body? My soul?

The Body

The question of what happens to one’s body can be answered in life. All you need is a will to specify what should be done with your remains, and today there is a wealth of options.

You could go for the classic coffin burial and store your skeleton underground. Or have your body cremated and the ashes planted with a tree or blended into a twenty-foot-tall concrete statue of your likeness. Immortality anyone?

Let’s not forget pulverization and liquification. There’s no better way to remember Uncle Joe than with a human smoothie on the mantlepiece!

Then there’s my personal favourite, the sky burial.

Vultures - FishOil at English Wikipedia. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sky burials were practiced in regions of Tibet, India, China, and Mesopotamia for millennia before religions like Zoroastrianism were marginalized. Zoroastrians and Buddhists believe in the transmigration of spirits—a cycle of rebirth—which means that the body need not be preserved after death as it is merely an empty vessel.

The body of the deceased is left exposed to the elements and the scavenging of wild animals, particularly carrion birds like vultures. Nature helps return the corpse quickly and efficiently to the earth, limiting the potential spread of disease.

Tower of Silence - Inside the tower of silence, Bombay. Flickr

The ancient Persians even erected special structures called dakhma, or Towers of Silence, where bodies were left exposed to scavengers on a raised dais. Once the bones had been picked clean, skeletal remains were deposited into a central pit to decompose further.

Human lives are expensive. We take a tremendous amount of resources from the earth to sustain ourselves. In death, a sky burial allows us to give something back. The body decomposes, fertilizing the soil, and nourishing the animals that eat from it.

No burning of fuels or expensive real estate required!

Sky burials are an appealing option for those conscious of the footprint they leave behind, but there’s a small problem. Under Canadian law, a sky burial is viewed as desecration of a corpse…

Well, we’ve all got a friend willing to do a couple years in the clink for us right?

The Soul

For 5000 years or more, religions from all corners of the globe have tried to answer the soul question. No matter what belief system you adhere to, a common thread is that there’s a part of us that is immutable and will persist in some form after we die.

Whether that’s rebirth in a new body, the continuation of life in heaven (or hell), or something else entirely is dependant on the beliefs of the individual. Whatever you believe, having faith dispels some of the uncertainty of death.

For the devout, they need only concern themselves with living according to their religious tenants to be guaranteed a safe place for their soul to reside.

But what if you’re an atheist? You’ve got no faith in a higher power, no promise of life eternal. You may even baulk at the idea of a soul.

Consciousness should be your main concern if that’s the case. Will it be lights out and the end of all perception? Or could our consciousness rejoin the collective oneness of the universe?

You’ll just have to wait to find out!

Universe - Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Nicholas Kungl - is a Professional Writing student at Algonquin College who has always been fascinated by the darker side of life. He started out writing scenes for tabletop RPGs and his friends got a kick out of it. Eventually, he wondered if anyone else would too. He spends his free time doing yoga, listening to music, and wandering green spaces with his dogs.

The Ambiguous Horror of Female Sexuality

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Much of the horror in The Innocents comes from the instability of Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr), the new governess to Flora (Pamela Franklin) and Miles (Martin Stephens).

Shortly after her arrival at Bly manor, Miss Giddens comes to believe that the estate is haunted by Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde), the former valet, and Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop), the former governess. The two were having a sordid affair until their deaths on the estate—Quint by a drunken fall on the steps in the winter, and Miss Jessel by drowning herself in the lake—which scarred the children deeply.

Throughout the course of The Innocents, Miss Giddens is the only one who claims to see or hear any ghosts; she believes that the Flora and Miles can see their dead caregivers, but they lie about it every step of the way. Her belief is reinforced by the children’s increasingly suspicious behaviour, something that Miss Giddens takes as proof of the existence of ghosts.

In the afternoon sun, Flora and Miss Giddens sit on the gazebo at the shore of the lake. In the reeds of the lake, Miss Jessel stands in a black dress, staring back at them. She and Flora seem to be looking at each other, but when Miss Giddens asks who the woman is, Flora is puzzled; she doesn’t see anyone.

The children’s behaviour could be attributed not to ghosts, but to the further breaking of Miss Giddens’ fragile psyche: perhaps she is seeing figures and faces that aren’t there, hearing voices that don’t call to her. But Miss Giddens is firm in her belief that there is something wrong at Bly.

Miss Giddens, eyes wide with horror, concludes that the children are being possessed by Quint and Miss Jessel: “I can’t pretend to understand what its purpose is. I only know that it is happening. Something secretive and whispery…and indecent.”

Secrets, corruption, and wickedness are recurring themes throughout The Innocents. Miss Giddens is the daughter of a preacher, and remarks that the home she grew up in was very unlike Bly manor. It was a small, modest house: “Much too small to keep secrets,” she tells Miles. Contrary to her young wards who tell secrets and whisper everywhere they go, Miss Giddens grew up in the open, with her secrets and desires laid out for all to see.

Though Miss Giddens has an inherent disgust for all things obscene and wicked, she still finds herself drawn to them. She presses housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins) for as much information on Quint and Miss Jessel’s trysts as she can, captivated by the indecency of it all; Miss Giddens becomes a woman obsessed.

Her obsession manifests in the form of preserving the children’s innocence and freeing them from what she perceives to be Quint and Miss Jessel’s unholy influences.

 

In what is the most jarring and blatantly sexual sequence in the film, Miss Giddens is further tormented by disembodied voices.

Miss Giddens is alone, sitting by the fire and praying with her Bible when Miss Jessel’s giggle suddenly cuts through the silence. She tries to ignore it, but the giggles become whispers between Quint and Miss Jessel—almost as if Miss Giddens is overhearing a secret conversation between the departed lovers—so she begins investigating.

With only a candlestick to light her way, Miss Giddens walks down the halls of the manor, checking every doorknob and window as the wind howls outside. She seems intent on finding where the voices are coming from. As she does, the voices and noises around her intensify.

Look at the children, Quint whispers.

The children are watching, Miss Jessel says.

Knock before you enter! Quint demands.

The voices overlap into a symphony of lust and anger and desperation. Miss Giddens is overwhelmed in her anxious state, running through the manor until she reaches her room. When she closes the door, the voices come to a halt, and she’s finally safe again.

 

In the climax of the film, Miss Giddens confronts Miles. She believes that he will be free from Quint’s influence when he admits the possession says Quint’s name aloud. Miles tells Miss Giddens that she’s crazy, and no one will believe what she says because at her core, she’s wicked: “A damned hussy, a damned dirty-minded hag!”

Miles’ declaration seems to frighten Miss Giddens just as much as the ghosts that she had encountered at Bly.

Miss Giddens, more than anything, values being seen as pure. And while upon first glance, she and Miss Jessel are polar opposites, they are both controlled by their underlying desires. Where Miss Jessel was controlled by her lust, Miss Giddens is controlled by her purity.

By the end of the film, it remains unclear whether the ghosts at Bly were real or not. The only clear part is that the children are further traumatized by the presence of Miss Giddens and her obsession with upholding some sort of innocence. Perhaps it was Miss Giddens’ misplaced affection that was her undoing; or it was her repression and delusion, the belief that she was always doing the right thing. That unrelenting belief is Miss Giddens’ downfall, and it proves to be the most dangerous part of The Innocents.

With the screenplay being written in part by Truman Capote, who emphasized the psychosexual undertone of the haunting, the ambiguity of The Innocents is as blatant as it is frightening.

Frankie Quinn is the resident scaredy cat who takes a particular interest in the intersection of feminism and queer culture in horror media.

No Hate on Horror Sequels!

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You know you’re in the right college program when you get to talk about your love for movies in the way they do in Scream 2, when Mickey and Randy debated about sequels—but not just any sequels, horror sequels! And that’s why Empire Strikes Back doesn’t get any consideration here.

“[It’s] not a sequel,” argues Randy, “part of a trilogy completely planned.”

Yeah, well…shut up, Randy. This is why I’m taking Mickey’s side: to explain why the second movie in horror franchises can be just as good, or possibly even better than the first. 

Scream 2

Scream 2 movie cover

The expectations are high for sequels to live up to their originals, yet they often disappoint. But why? People say it has to do with a lack of originality or laziness from the studio, but Scream 2 treated its disadvantage like a challenge and worked it into the self-aware sense of humour that the franchise is famous for.

Movie screenshot

For this movie there was a copycat killer: a Ghostface who was very determined to create a worthy sequel, and one who got all riled up every time someone told him it was a bad idea. Maybe he did base his idea off of the first killer, and maybe he was a little clumsier—one time managing to trip over an entire couch—but he tried, and he tried hard (so no one can dare call his sequel lazy!).

There is just something about them: Scream and Scream 2 will always feel the most classic to me, complimenting each other as the beginning and a highly worthy continuation. The franchise slowly started to get less appealing to me afterwards, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Child’s Play 2

Movie screenshot

Sequels have a hidden advantage to their originals when handled right. Having established a world with characters and backstories already, the original movies save sequels time from introducing these things so they can get straight to the plot.

Movie screenshot with Andy and Chucky

A great example of this is Child’s Play 2. I remember finding it dissatisfying in the first movie at how young Andy was, and how little he could communicate about the killer doll, Chucky. In the sequel Andy is two years older, more capable of making decisions and understanding the consequences of the situation. Questions like, “When will he try to hide Chucky?” or “When should he trust people to believe him?” add conflict, and therefore brings more excitement to the story.

Sequels can develop relationships much further between characters than the first movie had the chance to. But aw, poor Andy, and just about every other horror protagonist with more than one film…I’ll bet they wished to say goodbye to the killer the first time they killed them.

The Ring Two

The ring two movie cover

Samara reminds me of myself as a child: a horror fan long before she was allowed to watch the movies, so nobody knew what influenced her to be so damn creepy. I love her for it, and I love her sequel for giving her more screen time in a more sympathetic light. It’s a personal preference, perhaps, but it still falls into interesting character development.

Movie screenshot of Samara

Her character has been represented as an entity of pure evil, a vengeful ghost who never stops killing. In the first movie when she was speaking to a doctor in an old tape, he suggests that maybe she didn’t want to hurt anyone—but her answer is what you might expect something evil to say: “But I do.”

Then she said she was sorry. It’s confusing what Samara was trying to say.

By The Ring Two, it’s clear she will do anything and deceive anyone to get what she wants, even if it’s only to belong or to be loved. And it can be hard to see the malice of a plan behind the face of an “innocent” child, making me almost start to root for her against my better judgement. That’s what makes the horror and fascination for me in this movie strong: maybe Samara is half evil, and half misunderstood?

…

So that’s that, do I win this game? Do I get a high-five from the class? Oh, stop pouting, Randy, and acknowledge my points. Write your own blog, if you will—but horror sequels can be great!

Teagan kept on hearing she would have to write some blog posts for college. That joke about writing about horror gave her real fits…then she realized they were serious. At least she’s seen plenty of slasher movies and has her dark sense of humour to work in her favour.

You have just heard from her with her funny little games. They say she’s a writer now. Ha ha.

I Scream, You Scream... We all Scream

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The sound of a phone ringing; a pretty blonde answers, and a gravelly voice asks her a question;

"What's your favourite scary movie?"

One of the most iconic opening scenes in movie history.

The Scream Movies

My favourite scary movies are those in the Scream franchise. I watch them every October, and I love them as much today as I did the first time I watched them. Yes, I have seen them probably a hundred times.

Scene from the first Scream movie

Scream is one of the most popular horror movie franchises, starting in 1996 with the first movie starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette. They were directed by Wes Craven, well-known in the horror industry for his work on films like Nightmare on Elm Street and classics like The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left, and so many others. The Scream franchise has made over $740 million worldwide over the five movies.

The Scream movies are known for being meta, which is when something refers back to or is about itself. In the first movie, characters often comment about who they thought would play them if they made a movie about the murders. All other Scream movies refer to the fictional "Stab" films that were made based on what happened in the original Scream film. The character Randy also likes to discuss the parameters and rules of horror movies. These elements make for a unique horror movie format.

Interesting Scream Facts:

  • The original movie's cast never saw or met the actor for the voice on the phone. The actor who would be the Ghostface Killer on the phone was left a mystery to the cast members, giving the actors an added element of suspense.

Middle: Wes Craven, Right: Kevin Williamson

  • The writer of Scream, Kevin Williamson, drew inspiration for the movie from a real-life serial killer. Danny Rolling, The Gainesville Ripper, murdered five college women with a large knife before he was eventually caught. Williamson was watching a documentary on the Gainesville Ripper when inspiration hit for the Ghostface Killer.

  • The Ghostface mask was found in a random box in someone's garage. They tried to make their own mask based off of the original, but nothing came close to the mask they found. They ended up licensing the mask from Fun World, the original maker of the mask.

  • A Scream-based TV series came out on Netflix in 2015, where we find a group of teenagers being hunted by a masked murderer with a very large knife. It is a different story with different characters and set in a different town, but it still has the Scream vibe. I recommend season one, but I didn't like season two.

To me, Scream is one of the more unique horror movie franchises. It has a wonderful mix of jump scares, gory kill scenes (without being gross), and just a touch of humour. I don’t think there will be another horror movie franchise that will have that special place in my heart that Scream does.

Though I must admit, the upcoming Scream 6 isn't sitting high on my list of "must-watch movies" since they didn't want to pay Neve Campbell, aka Sidney Prescott, what she deserved, so Sidney won't be in the newest movie.

So, what is your favourite scary movie?

 

I love to indulge in the dark side of life and party with the monsters under my bed. I have been in love with the horror genre since the age of eleven and haven’t regretted a moment.

Found Footage is Terrible

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I love found-footage horror. 

I know—you expected me to rant about the genre’s flaws. Don’t worry. That’s coming. But I need you to know up front that this tirade comes from a genuine fan. Maybe you’ll come to appreciate these movies as much as I do.

First, a few caveats: I hated the Blair Witch Project. I found it boring. Tell me how wrong I am below in the comments, which I’ll definitely read. I promise. 

Next caveat: I’m going to skip a few gems of the genre to draw attention to films I’m guessing you haven’t seen. So be sure to watch the Paranormal Activity franchise and Cloverfield on your own time. As an aside on Cloverfield, I must admit I preferred either sequel to the original. I thought the move away from found-footage was the right call.

Have you seen As Above, So Below? If not, get out. You can read a great review here and watch it immediately. It’s one of the best found-footage horror flicks ever made. 

In my last post I brought up my love of religious horror. As you can imagine, religious found-footage horror is my kryptonite, and in my next post I’ll introduce you to two of my favourites. Stay tuned!

For now, let me introduce you to three horrible but irresistible found footage masterpieces. Each is so bad in its own way it comes around full circle and enters the realm of art. 

The Dinosaur Project (2012)

From CineMaterial.com

The line between thriller and horror is often blurry, and The Dinosaur Project falls on both sides. Picture a low-budget Jurassic Park. 

When I say low budget, I mean excruciating. Found footage can get away with just about anything. Don’t expect Jurassic Park CGI. Some of the dinosaurs look great, but any I really wanted a good look at are only shown for a few split seconds with classic found footage blurring and shaky cameras.

The dialogue is painfully dull. The main characters, a father and son, have a strained, awkward relationship. Found footage more than any other genre likes to exaggerate character baggage. Every conversation is loaded and forced as if that’s somehow more like real life than normal movies. And the only character who verges on stability gets eaten first. 

I can only recommend this movie because I’ve watched it so many times. I can’t explain why. Once you watch it, you’ll be hooked. It’s terrible. 

From CineMaterial.com

The Pyramid (2014)

At least it’s better than The Pyramid. 

A solid thirty minutes of The Pyramid is dedicated to reminding us that found footage writers are dramatic people. This movie has endless drama, and the awkward dialogue puts The Dinosaur Project to shame. By the time the action starts, I’m begging the Egyptian gods to kill everyone. 

Oh, and every bad decision in a found-footage horror flick can be traced back to daddy issues. That’s a trope you can bank on.

Another found footage trope is the fake expert. These characters claim to have dedicated their lives to Egyptian archaeology, but I knew more than them on the subject in first grade. 

Lucky for us, The Pyramid delivers on horror. People die in all kinds of gruesome ways, from booby traps to ravenous jackals. And wait until you see what the god of death looks like up close. 

Chronicle (2012)

From CineMaterial.com

And finally, there’s Chronicle. More thriller than horror, this teen superpower found-footage flick is full of dark turns. 

Chronicle follows three teens who find crystals in a cave and come out with telekinesis.

Again, the dialogue’s crap, but for the most part I found Chronicle believable. And the characters have baggage I can believe too. In similar circumstances, I might become a murderous supervillain. 

Before things get that dark, there are some hilarious scenes of teen guys doing exactly what teen guys would do if they were given powers. That includes pranks and playing sky football.

My favourite trope in this one is that several characters in the movie are obsessed with filming things for no particular reason. How else could the proverbial “finder of the footage” ever piece together so many tidbits from everyday life no one else in their right mind would film?

That said, Chronicle is my favourite in the genre. It makes me want to rethink my title, even if most found footage is so bad I watch more from morbid curiosity. 

If you check these three out, let me know what you think below.

Tim McKay - Tim studied theology and worked as a pastor before leaving it all behind, making him the perfect cliche apostate from every religious horror flick.

The Terror of Existence

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Ghosts and demons. Vampires and witches. Zombies and mummies. Classic horror monsters share at least one thing in common. They’re all imaginary! We suspend disbelief when we see them on screen or in books, allowing ourselves to be scared, but we know they exist only in the theatre of the mind. Turn the T.V. off —Dracula’s as good as dead. Fictional scares don’t compare to the true horrors of real life.

The Terror S1 AMC NETWORKS Copyright: © AMC NETWORKS

AMC’s The Terror exemplifies the terror of existence through the fictionalized account of the 1845 Franklin expedition, in which two British navy ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, were sent into the Canadian arctic in search of the northwest passage. The ships were frozen into the ice near King William Island, a region known today as Nunavut. After a year of waiting for the ice to melt, the ships were abandoned, and in 1848 the remaining crew set out across the frozen wasteland in search of salvation. They were never seen again.

In the series, the crews of Terror and Erebus are constantly hunted by a supernatural polar bear monster called Tuunbaq. The creature seems to be nature’s wrath incarnate, sent to scour Europeans from the frigid landscape. But the bear becomes almost incidental as the sailors face more insidious enemies: consumption, scurvy, lead poisoning, and the land itself.

Consumption

TB Poster - By Rensselaer County Tuberculosis Association. - U.S. National Library of Medicine. Public Domain.

Tuberculosis, or consumption, is a bacterial disease that commonly affects the lungs and is spread from person to person through the air. It earned the name consumption because of the rapid weight loss associated with the disease. Other symptoms include chronic cough with blood filled mucus, fever, and night sweats. Tuberculosis is fatal if left untreated.

In the first episode of The Terror, Dr. Goodsir remarks that they’d already buried three sailors on Beechey Island. When archaeologists discovered those remains in the 1980’s, they concluded the men had indeed died of tuberculosis.

Scurvy

Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet and was identified by the Egyptians as early as 1550BC. The first signs are often purplish bruises, followed by bleeding along the hairline and gums, tooth loss, skin lesions, the opening of previously healed wounds or scars, constant hunger, weakness, aching limbs and joints, and eventually—death.

Have You Scurvy? – Scurvy, Atlas Obscura

Fortunately for the Franklin expedition, scurvy was nearly beaten by the time the ships departed from England in 1845. Each sailor was given a daily ration of lemon juice to ward off the disease. But as the expedition dragged on and rations ran low, it was only a matter of time before everyone felt its effects. Sailors died at their posts or keeled over on marches, never to rise again.

Lead Poisoning

The expedition was well provisioned with a three-year supply of tinned soup and vegetables as well as salt cured meat. Stephen Goldner, the man awarded the tinned food contract, was given a mere seven weeks to complete the order. In the rush to get it done, the tins were sloppily sealed with lead solder that contaminated the food within.

Symptoms of lead poisoning include nausea, diarrhea, numbness, mood disorders, abdominal pain, and inflammation of the brain. The latter being particularly dangerous in a survival situation as it effects the ability to think clearly and solve problems. Several of their bodies were exhumed, examined, and found to contain up to ten times the normal amount of lead in their bones.

The Arctic

Man Proposes God Disposes - Edwin Landseer - 1864

The region surrounding King William Island has winter temperatures as low as -40°c, with only four months of the year—June to September—being above freezing. Prolonged exposure to severe cold can cause frostbite, hypothermia, and death.

In the show, sailors protect themselves from hypothermia by burning the oil used to fuel the ships turbines. But crewmen sent on hunting or scouting parties were still subject to the ravages of frostbite. This is starkly depicted in a scene where doctors casually snip off a sailors blackened, dead toes.

Can it get any worse?

Oh yes! All this amounts to increasingly bad decision making and impaired judgement as the sailors try to work through the challenges of surviving in the arctic. Civilization is discarded in the pursuit of survival; they turn on one another. Battling threats from within, and the forces of nature itself, they’re doomed to die.

What makes this story truly terrifying isn’t the supernatural polar bear monster. It’s the perilous lives of the sailors. It’s knowing real people suffered and died under some of the most unforgiving circumstances imaginable: lost, freezing, starving, poisoned, and diseased, with no hope of rescue.

That is the terror of existence.










Nicholas Kungl - A Professional Writing student at Algonquin College who has always been fascinated by the darker side of life. After all, what stares back at you from the abyss is ever so interesting, don’t you think? He spends his free time doing yoga, listening to music, and wandering green spaces with his dogs.

Thir13en Goats? I Mean GHOSTS!

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Thir13en Goats? A Parody edit of the Thir13en ghosts title

Horror fans love compiling lists of all the worst or cheesiest horror movies they’ve forced themselves to sit through, including low budget, independent, bad sequels and remakes. 2000s films are often included because they came out during the prime time for using crappy CGI effects, and we believe that laughing about it can be a fun way to justify wasting a whole hour and a half of our lives staring unimpressed at the screen. Today I want to talk about my favourite horror movie: it’s from the early 2000s, it’s a remake, and one that many critics say relies more on shock factor than good writing—

But that’s only partially true, and focussing on that alone may discourage people from getting into a truly spectacular movie.

“Misery Loves Company!” Cover art for the Thir13en Ghosts VHS and DVD release

Thirteen Ghosts (stylized as Thir13en Ghosts) is Dark Castle Entertainment’s remake of the 1960 film. It averages from one to three-and-a-half stars for most ratings, and it wasn’t so popular when it released in 2001, either. However, it has gained attention—especially over the last few years—and has been recognized for being a visual masterpiece through its use of practical effects. It has a decent story, one that can be genuinely funny, with characters and lore that surpass expectations.

Fans of movies like Scream will recognize Matthew Lillard, the actor who played Stu Macher in 1996. In Thirteen Ghosts Lillard plays a psychic named Dennis Rafkin who just won’t shut up about how much he hates his job, but you might complain too if your supernatural-obsessed boss is careless enough to get himself killed by his own ghost that you helped him capture…and before paying you a single cent of what he owes you. Then, as if to make matters worse, he’s arranged for his gigantic glass house to be given away to his financially struggling nephew, his two kids and the nanny they shouldn’t be able to afford.

At this point Rafkin says, “To hell with it!” and decides to sneak into the glass house dressed as a man from the Power Company to search for his money. When everyone’s inside, the doors shut and lock on their own—and when he tries to warn the family about the collection of their uncle’s ghosts in the basement, some who will definitely try to kill them, the father is so clueless that he mishears and asks if Rafkin means “goats.”

Movie screenshot of the ghosts

These goats—erm, ghosts—are one of the major highlights of the film. They’re not created with CGI at all, but are actors dressed in unique costumes and makeup. For what some of them may lack in screentime, the DVD extras make up for it by telling their individual backstories through short videos in ways that the main movie wouldn’t have had time to explore. Each of them represents a symbol of the Black Zodiac—a concept similar to the Western Zodiac signs, but with a purpose much more sinister…

In the end, Thirteen Ghosts still has a few cheesy horror movie habits, but that’s what makes it (and the genre) fun! It’s an underrated gem to be found among 2000s horror, both visually spectacular and offering a lot of detail to those who are willing dig down into it.

Teagan kept on hearing she would have to write some blog posts for college. That joke about writing about horror gave her real fits…then she realized they were serious. At least she’s seen plenty of slasher movies and has her dark sense of humour to work in her favour.

You have just heard from her with her funny little games. They say she’s a writer now. Ha ha.

The Uncertainty of The Innocents

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In gothic horror, female sexuality is something that is feared just as much as the spectres that haunt the darkened halls. Female protagonists of gothic horror are terrorized by their own secret desires and warped ideals, often manifesting in the form of hypersexual antagonists. Nowhere is this more apparent than in The Innocents, the 1961 film adaptation of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

The Innocents sees Miss Giddens (Deborah Kerr) become the new governess of Flora (Pamela Franklin) and Miles (Martin Stephens), two orphaned siblings under the care of their indifferent bachelor uncle (Michael Redgrave). Miss Giddens is a spinster and in her own words, inexperienced, but she is elated to accept the position after being swayed by the uncle’s charms and her love of children.

The horror of The Innocents begins quietly. Miss Giddens is, upon first glance, normal: she is caring and kind, and excited to be working at such a beautiful estate. When she arrives at Bly manor, she takes a leisurely walk through the garden. It’s there that she hears someone calling out for Flora. No one else hears it, and she never finds out who it was. This is brushed off and quickly forgotten, but it’s one of the first clues that Miss Giddens may not be of sound mind. Miss Giddens tosses and turns her first night at Bly, and most nights that follow. She is tormented by unseen forces even before the haunting unfolds.

In the garden, Miss Giddens tends to the flowers and cuts roses for a bouquet. Flora is nearby and unseen, singing:

We lay, my love and I

Beneath a weeping willow

But now alone I lie

And weep beside the tree

Singing “O Willow Waly”

By the tree that weeps with me

Singing “O Willow Waly”

Till my lover returns…

Suddenly, the insects stop buzzing, birds stop chirping, and Flora stops singing. Miss Giddens looks around the garden, puzzled at the silence. Her eyes wander around, then up. There, in the blinding light of the afternoon, Miss Giddens sees the first apparition: a man atop the tower in the garden, staring back down at her. She sees the man again that night while playing hide-and-seek with the children, and this time she’s able to describe him clearly to housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Megs Jenkins): a “handsome, obscene” man with “the hardest, coldest” eyes. Mrs. Grose knows the man she speaks of, but it’s impossible that Miss Giddens saw him. The man is Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde), the uncle’s former valet. And he’s dead.

Quint and the former governess, Miss Jessel (Clytie Jessop) were having a torrid, abusive love affair. Flora and Miles, having been neglected by their uncle, took kindly to them, but were traumatized after their deaths. Quint died on the steps of the manor after a drunken slip and fall on a winter night, and was found by Miles. Miss Jessel died soon after – apparently of a broken heart – but it’s later confirmed that she died “of wickedness” and drowned herself in the estate’s lake. What alarms Miss Giddens most is that according to Mrs. Grose, they didn’t care what anyone, especially the children, saw; it’s alluded to that the children witnessed Miss Jessel and Quint’s inappropriate sexual behaviour during their affair. The revelation haunts Miss Giddens, and she becomes convinced that the children are being overtaken by the spirits of their dead caretakers. Her paranoia goes into overdrive.

Flora and Miles begin The Innocents as harmless figures, forgotten children cast aside by their only living family. At times, the children are just that: children. But as the film progresses, they become increasingly disturbing. Their dialogue is just ambiguous enough for Miss Giddens to cast doubt upon them, leaving the intent of their words and actions up to interpretation. Flora watches a spider eat a butterfly trapped in a web, toying with its wings as it struggles; Miles puts Miss Giddens in a headlock during their game of hide-and-seek and refuses to let her go, reveling in her discomfort.

Later, when the children perform an impromptu play for Miss Giddens and Mrs. Grose, Miles recites a poem. He walks, lit by candlelight, to the same spot where Quint was seen by Miss Giddens. The poem makes it seem as though Miles is addressing Quint directly, which solidifies the possession in Miss Giddens’ mind.

What shall I say when his feet enter softly, leaving the marks of his grave on my floor?

Enter, my lord. Come from your prison.

Come from your grave, for the moon is arisen.

Welcome, my lord.

The connection between Miles and Miss Giddens is at best, dubious; at worst, it is a manifestation of a psychosexually disturbed woman’s need to preserve purity. From the beginning, Miss Giddens is unnervingly obsessed with protecting Flora and Miles from what she sees as corrupting influences, namely the spirits of Miss Jessel and Quint. She goes to great lengths to protect “the innocents”, but in the end, she harms them both in irreversible ways. It remains unclear whether or not the ghosts in this story are real, whether Miss Giddens’ sanity is slipping, or whether the children are traumatized from some form of abuse suffered at the hands of Miss Jessel and Quint. Maybe it’s a combination of some sort. There is no correct answer, but what remains most horrifying about The Innocents is that it exists within a certain ambiguity where no definitive answer is any less disturbing than the last.

Frankie Quinn is the resident scaredy cat who takes a particular interest in the intersection of feminism and queer culture in horror media.

Horror in Retrospect

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“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win”
— Stephen King

History of Horror in Fiction:

My love of horror novels changed as I grew; it developed as I did. It started with Goosebumps, and then I turned to R.L. Stien’s Fear Street books. When I got too old for those, I started on Christopher Pike. At the age of fourteen, I was introduced to Stephen King, and now I read whatever I can get my hands on. I haven’t looked back. But who paved the way for these authors?

The first glimpse we have of the horror genre was in the 18th century with the emergence of Gothic novels, which are defined as pseudo-medieval fiction with elements of mystery and terror. The horror genre took on a life of its own and changed over the 200 years it has been around. Here are some of the most significant contributors to the genre.

Key Horror Books and Authors:

Frankenstein's Monster

8ft recreation of Mary Shelley’s monster in Frankenstein found in Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath, England

1765- Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is said to be the first published horror story.

1818- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley first introduced the concept of pseudoscience in horror. This is one of my favourite classic novels.

1841- The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe within the emerging Romantic era, where we first see the use of psychoanalysis in fiction. This era also introduces the idea that horror isn’t just monsters and supernatural creatures; that man can also be a monster.

1886- Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

1897- Dracula by Bram Stoker

1908- “The Alchemist” by H.P. Lovecraft. His works introduce the idea of alternate worlds and the beginning of the speculative fiction genre.

1959- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirly Jackson

1962- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

1974- Carrie by Stephen King

Horror in written form keeps evolving throughout the decades with scientific discoveries and our understanding of our world. As we understand more about how our world works, we discover new ways in which it can go horribly wrong and scare the shit out of us. The horror genre has expanded and now includes horror comedy, psychological horror, monster movies, paranormal horror, and so much more.

Looking over this list, you may notice that the early horror writers heavily influenced the transition to horror movies, but where did horror movies start?

History of Horror Movies

I’ll start by saying that the first horror movie I watched was so long ago that I couldn’t even tell you the name of it. I was probably in grade six (this is back in the early 90s), and I had a friend whose mother would let her watch scary movies, so when I slept over, she would throw one on. The movie involved teenage demon possession, blood, and jump scares. It terrified me and gave me nightmares for a long time afterwards, but I was hooked.

Scary movies started with the birth of moving pictures. The way movies functioned back then offered the horror genre the perfect platform. The first movies were silent, dark, and the filmed movements were stuttered and jerky (they didn’t have the frame rates we have now), creating the perfect atmosphere for creepy images. The first short film was called “Le Squelette Joyeux,” created by the Lumiere brothers.





movie poster for the cabinet of dr. caligari

Key Horror Movies:

1915- “The Golem”- was dubbed the first monster movie (silent movie)

1920- “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (silent)

1922- “Nosferatu” (silent)

1931- “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”

1932- “The Mummy”

1933- “King Kong”

1935- “Bride of Frankenstein” and “The Werewolves of London”

1941- “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”

1956- “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”

1960- “Psycho”

Once the movie industry entered the 1950s, the horror genre ignited and has continued to burn brightly ever since. Now, a couple of horror movies come out yearly instead of one or two a decade. According to Forbes magazine, the horror industry is worth $1 billion annually. It’s evident that whatever filmmakers are doing, we all love it.

I know that, for me, as soon as October hits, all I want is to curl up on the couch and watch movies that will, hopefully, scare the poop out of me. I will also have a stack of scary books beside my bed, which will probably impact my sleep, but I couldn’t care less.

Teresa loves to indulge in the dark side of life and party with the monsters under her bed. Teresa has been in love with the horror genre since the age of eleven and hasn’t regretted a moment.

Put Your Faith in Horror

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Religion in horror almost made me return to faith. I wonder, am I the only one? 

I left religion behind in my twenties and swore I’d never return. But horror movies almost brought me back into the fold. Why?

I blame the 1984 film The NeverEnding Story. 

A snarling black bear with a face thin enough to pass for a black wolf

From Andre Tam on Unsplash.com

No horror movie or show has yet scared me more than when I was a kid seeing Gmork for the first time. And at five years old I’d snuck my aunt’s VHS of Species with Natasha Henstridge. How I managed to watch that without getting caught I’ll never know. Species freaked me out, but my love of horror began there. I watched it another four times. So when I say I was scared of a creepy black wolf with terrible CGI, it’s not like I had nothing to compare it to. But to this day a snarling black wolf is my vision of terror. 

A few years ago I got into exorcism and antichrist themed horror. I felt a certain thrill in diving into the world that had been forbidden when I was an evangelical pastor. 

I had gone back to school, and like all students working on a second, third, or fourth degree, I was developing a nihilistic streak. You know, that point in school where you wonder if this will ever matter, ever get you a decent job, or ever make you feel as smart and accomplished as you once did back at some arbitrary point in your life. 

You know the one. We all have that one trophy, that one good mark, that one framed painting. And if you can’t ever reach that high again, is it really worth it?

I binged horror to stave off stress from procrastinating. I was watching Fox’s The Exorcist series and A&E’s Damien at the time. A friend from Bible college recommended I add the first two Conjuring films to my list, and I watched both one night between papers. 

I had terrible sleeping habits, and during a particularly bad crunch week in my master’s I had gone something like three or four nights without sleep. So there I was, typing away at my laptop, when something startled the hell out of me (pun intended?). It was probably a bird flying by the window, but I swear to you, what I saw in the shadows was Gmork. I saw the big bad black wolf as clear as you see these letters. 

I went back to church that Sunday. 

Jesus didn’t take, but I did feel better and I’ve wondered why ever since. 

My working theory is that religious horror primes us to see faith as the answer to evil. And sooner or later we all encounter evil. 

One pattern in movies and shows like these is how cool the religious protagonists are and how foolish or immature any atheists are made to look. After I introduced her to The Conjuring, my wife joked that we should be the next Ed and Lorraine Warren. They’re smart, funny, romantic, and they go out of their way to comfort a family in need with grace and maturity. It’s hard not to like them. 

And the lead priests in The Exorcist show are some of the most likeable characters I’ve ever seen in horror.

Contrast these with Bradley James’s portrayal of the antichrist in Damien. 

The show really plays up the irony of Damien being an atheist as a young adult, unaware of his true nature. In one telling scene, he goes to a funeral where the priest offers him a few words of comfort during the wake. Damien goes to town on the poor sod, citing every classic atheist argument in the book and calling the idea of a divine plan behind needless death and suffering a cruel joke. He doesn’t realize until finishing his tirade that he’s raised his voice so everyone in the room stops to listen, naturally offending almost everyone there. He’s made to look cold and insensitive, however smart his arguments. 

A lot of atheists are like that, embittered by painful experiences in the church. But many are the kindest people you’ll ever meet, and the trope of the insensitive, bullying atheist is a bit overplayed. But it strikes home just enough to make even the most militant atheist wonder if they’re missing something.

Maybe that’s what happened to me.

Tim McKay - Tim studied theology and worked as a pastor before leaving it all behind, making him the perfect cliche apostate from every religious horror flick.

Diabolus in Musica

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The Devil’s Interval

When I was sixteen, I performed an original song on electric guitar for a live audience at our music school’s annual festival. A video of the show found its way into my grandparents’ VCR. They liked the song and were so proud, but I was warned, “Careful what notes you’re playing, those are too dark.” I hadn’t a clue but the progression of notes I’d used were once thought to summon the devil. All I knew is that I liked the sound of it!

Composers from as far back as the 1800’s, like Beethoven and Wagner, have been using the tritone—essentially a triad of notes three whole steps apart—to add a dark, foreboding, and unsettling element to their music. When these notes are played slowly and in progression, they create a dissonant tone that early listeners dubbed “evil” because the sounds were unexpected and not pleasing to the ear.

Speaking of evil, the devil made his appearance in heavy music as something to be feared. In 1970, Black Sabbath paired the doom-laden notes of the tritone with lyrics espousing the dangers of the devil to create their self titled classic, “Black Sabbath.”

The intro showcases how the triad can be used to create an oppressive, dark atmosphere:

Black Sabbath, “Black Sabbath” (Intro)

The intensity builds as the song progresses, until reaching an alarming crescendo:

Black Sabbath, “Black Sabbath” (End)

Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and many others incorporated the tritone into their music, but the “evil” they portrayed in songs was usually something they were warning listeners against, the moral being that we should run from the devil. In the documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, Ronnie James Dio remarks, “In my mind, we live in heaven, and we live in hell. God and the devil are inherent in each of us. Its our choice to make, we can take the road to good, and we can take the road to bad.”

It wasn’t until the mid 80’s and early 90’s that bands like Slayer, GWAR, and Cannibal Corpse changed the narrative around horror in music. These bands took the evil sound of the tritone and combined it with brutal imagery and graphic lyrics featuring themes of death, war, murder, rape, suicide, cannibalism, satanism, the occult, mental illness, and the degradation of society. In this iteration of scary music, the devil became a counterculture icon, used to give the middle finger to the church. Horror in this context reflects society ills and it’s used to challenge the status quo.

One of my personal favorites from this era is Slayer’s, “Live Undead” which takes listeners through the visceral, painful experience of becoming a zombie. It’s so damn creepy and the blood curdling scream near the end sends a shiver down my spine every time I hear it.

Slayer, “Live Undead”

Cannibal Corpse takes horror themes to the extreme, shocking audiences with vile lyrics and album covers featuring monsters, demons, and the undead performing grotesque and depraved acts. The song “Butchered at Birth” is a good example, detailing the macabre delights of dining on babies. The song is abrasive, the lyrics are disturbing, and unsettled is exactly how they want you to feel when you hear it.

Cannibal Corpse, “Butchered at Birth”

GWAR brings horror to the stage in a big way, dressing as aliens from another planet and staging elaborate live shows where attendees can watch them eviscerate effigies of corrupt politicians, religious officials, and pop culture icons all while being sprayed with imitation blood, urine, vomit, and semen. If you’re lucky, you might even be dragged on stage and fed to a giant maggot or shoved through a human meat grinder!

GWAR, “Sick of You”

By now, you must be thinking anyone who enjoys this kind of entertainment must be a sick, twisted individual. But most fans know the horrific images and dark themes portrayed are absurdly unreal—after all, demons aren’t going to burst out of your gut anytime soon. It’s the absurdity that allows us to play with these dark themes and retain our humanity. We can have fun with it, because in the end, its all just pretend!




Nicholas Kungl - A Professional Writing student at Algonquin College who has always been fascinated by the darker side of life. After all, what stares back at you from the abyss is ever so interesting, don’t you think? He spends his free time doing yoga, listening to music, and wandering green spaces with his dogs.